Situated in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, 295 km from Madagascar, Mayotte is made of two main islands and islets, with 235 000 inhabitants.
The island has great natural and cultural assets which are an excellent base for developing tourism. Agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture are traditional sectors, still poorly structured.
The region faces many challenges: a GDP reaching less than one third of the EU average; a high unemployment rate affecting in particular young people; a very young and mostly non-qualified population; a strong pressure of Illegal immigration. In addition, water resources are limited and basic infrastructures are still insufficient.